Leadership
Professor Andrew Tobin Ph.D - Founder and CEO
Keltic Pharma Therapeutics
Andrew Tobin is a leader in malaria biology and target validation, having developed unique genetic approaches to defining the role and therapeutic potential of protein kinases in malaria. He has also a long-standing international reputation in the GPCR field particularly in the validation of receptor-targets that can treat memory loss in neurodegenerative disease. Prior to joining the University of Glasgow, Andrew led a group at the University of Leicester investigating GPCR biology and generated novel genetic/chemical genetic mouse models and used such mouse models to define the action of GPCR targeted drugs to modulate human diseases.
He is credited with the discovery of PfCLK3 as a target in malaria research through his ground-breaking paper in Nature communications (2019). Following publication in the Science journal, we applied for funding through the EUMF (the EU malaria fund) and subsequently Keltic Pharma Therapeutics was created.
Key Publications:
- Validation of the protein kinase Pf CLK3 as a multistage cross-species malarial drug target
- Global kinomic and phospho-proteomic analyses of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
- Pharmacological hallmarks of allostery at the M4 muscarinic receptor elucidated through structure and dynamics
- A growing understanding of the role of muscarinic receptors in the molecular pathology and treatment of schizophrenia
- Parasite and host kinases as targets for antimalarials
- Pathophysiological regulation of lung function by the free fatty acid receptor FFA4
- FFA4/GPR120: Pharmacology and Therapeutic Opportunities
- Distinct Phosphorylation Clusters Determine the Signaling Outcome of Free Fatty Acid Receptor 4/G Protein-Coupled Receptor 120
- Concomitant action of structural elements and receptor phosphorylation determines arrestin-3 interaction with the free fatty acid receptor FFA4
Professor Graeme Milligan Ph.D., FRSE, FMEd Sci, FBPharmacolS - Founder and Scientific Advisor
Keltic Pharma Therapeutics
Prof Milligan is a leading expert on the molecular pharmacology of GPCRs with an impressive 550 publications in the field and is a leading international figure working to unravel the intricacies of trans-plasma membrane signalling. He has received several awards including the Ariens Award for Pharmacology, the Vane Medal for Pharmacology, and the Mullard Award for his global leadership in pharmacological and translational studies.
The most recent accolade being an Order of the British Empire award (OBE) for services to biomedical research and to industry. He is also been inducted into the fellowship of the royal society of Edinburgh in 1998 and the fellowship of the academy of medical sciences in 2016. Prof Milligan has extensive experience in industry, having worked with AZ, GSK and Servier throughout his career. In addition to this, he has licensed platform technologies developed in his group to GPCR-focused drug discovery companies Arena Pharmaceuticals and Cara Therapeutics. He is also a co-founder and director of Calden Therapeutics, a company focussed on the development therapeutics for metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes and inflammatory diseases.
Key Publications:
- Pathophysiological regulation of lung function by the free fatty acid receptor FFA4
- Metabolic and inflammatory functions of short-chain fatty acid receptors
- Gut dysbiosis during influenza contributes to pulmonary pneumococcal superinfection through altered short-chain fatty acid production
- Chemogenetics defines receptor-mediated functions of short chain free fatty acids
Professor Andrew Jamieson Ph.D. - Founder and CSO
Keltic Pharma Therapeutics - Inventor of the PEPSMOL© Platform
Andrew Jamieson is a Professor in Chemical Biology at the University of Glasgow. He has sixteen years’ experience of peptide chemical biology and medicinal chemistry. His research group is focussed upon the design and synthesis of peptides and peptidomimetics that can be used to probe the biological mechanisms underpinning disease and he holds grants from EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC as well as DSTL.
He is the inventor of our novel PEPSMOL© drug discovery platform and deploys this to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide unlock pharmacologically relevant hard-to-target G-Protein-Coupled-Receptors (GPCRs).
Mr Angus Ross
Deputy Director of Finance - The University of Glasgow
Angus Ross is the Deputy Director of Finance at The University of Glasgow. He joined the University in March 2021. As the Deputy Director of Finance, Angus is responsible for the University’s central accounting functions, delivery of financial and management reporting requirements and provision of support to the Executive Director of Finance. Angus’s previous experience includes various CFO, Head of Finance / SSC and Financial Controller roles including latterly 4 years with DCC Energy Group as Head of Finance.
Prior to this Angus has performed a number of senior finance positions including 7 years with Hilton Hotels Group as Head of Shared Services, 7 years with Diageo, and 2 years with both RBS and Royal Dutch Shell. He is now a member of the Keltic Pharma Therapeutic board.
Learn more about Keltic Pharma Therapeutics
We are happy to an answer questions about our company, malaria, drug discovery platform technology and partnering opportunities.